Govt asks CJ to name judges for probe

ISLAMABAD: In order to relieve tension and ease confrontation between institutions, the federal government has sent two letters to the Chief Justice of Supreme Court, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, for constitution of two separate commissions to probe the Abbottabad incident and the murder of journalist Saleem Shahzad.

According to sources, Registrar Supreme Court Dr Faqir Hussain on Sunday received a letter written by Secretary Law Masood Chishti, requesting the Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to nominate a judge to head the judicial commission to investigate the Abbottabad incident. The letter would be placed before the chief justice today (Monday).

Earlier, in pursuance of the unanimous resolution passed in the in-camera session of parliament, the government had constituted an inquiry commission to be headed by Mr Justice Javed Iqbal, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court. However, PML-N and President Supreme Court Bar Association Asma Jehangir had raised certain objections to the commission. Moreover, Justice Javed Iqbal too had made his nomination conditional to permission of the chief justice.

The government has now written a letter for formal consultation with the chief justice. Dr Babar Awan had advised the government to write to the chief justice on the formation of commissions on the two crucial events. The government accepted the advice and Ministry of Law and Justice has thus sent two letters to the chief justice.

Sources in the Law Ministry said that two separate commissions would be constituted after the process of consultation had been completed. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will resume hearing in the murder case of Saleem Shahzad today (Monday). Dr Babar Awan will represent the federal government in the case. It was learnt that after the nomination of Dr Babar Awan as state counsel in the case of Saleem Shahzad, he chaired a meeting of federal secretaries. After the meeting, the secretary information sent a letter to secretary law for the constitution of a commission, who in turn sent the letter to the chief justice for nomination of a senior judge to head the commission.